New Lily

Those Darn Kegels!…and a Quote of the Week.

engine oilQuote of the Week: He that is good for making excuses, is rarely good for anything else. Benjamin Franklin

Those darn Kegels! Am I the only one who hates doing them? As a runner and a mother of nine, I realize that the Kegel exercise is crucial if I want to continue to exercise as I get older. Then why do I have such a hard time getting them done?

I have decided it is a little like changing the oil in your car. The results are not visible, and so it is hard to stay motivated to do them. If you have not changed the oil in your car, it still might run just fine for a while. However, if you neglect it for too long, it can cause problems for your engine. The same can be said for the muscles of the pelvic floor. [Read more…]

You Can Laugh without Leaking

woman laughingYou Can Laugh Without Leaking was the name of a talk that I recently attended. Lead by a gynecologist and a physical therapist, the subject of the talk was stress incontinence, something lots of people would rather avoid talking about. I was one of only a few women there under the age of 60. However, according to both speakers, stress incontinence is not an issue reserved for older people. Plenty of women in their 30’s and 40’s have some symptoms of stress incontinence. And frankly, I think it is a shame that more women my age are not hearing this valuable information. Maybe it’s the dirty little secret of the mommy world. However, I believe knowledge is powerful, and in this case, the sooner we gain this essential knowledge about the pelvic floor muscles, the sooner we can do something about it!
There was such an abundance of important tips given at the talk, that one blog post can not do it justice. But I will be writing a lot more about this subject in posts to come.

9 Kid Fitness on WBT Radio!

WBT Radio Show9 Kid Fitness was featured on WBT Radio’s “Health Headlines” show on Sunday, March 13, 2011! Listen to the 8-10 minute segment to hear Whitney (that’s me) interviewed by the “Bod Squad” (Stacy Simms, Alan Tyson, and Dr. Russ Greenfield).
The weekly Sunday radio show with the Bod Squad features important health issues and trends that affect families.
During the interview we discuss the 9 Kid Fitness website, pelvic floor issues, and ways that busy moms can stay fit. Click on the link below and go to the 3/13 radio show. The segment begins at the 10:00 mark. Thanks for listening, and let me know what you think!
9 Kid Fitness on WBT Radio

Ladies, Beware of Crunches

situpOkay, this really isn’t just an excuse for me to get out of doing a sit-up (although I know a good excuse when I see one). Sit-ups and crunches (a sit-up with smaller range of motion) are still the old standby exercise for abdominal muscles. However, I think there are good reasons for some women to be cautious about doing them. [Read more…]

Pelvic Floor and the Jumprope

jump ropeDoes anyone else cringe when they see a Jumprope?
Recently at a group exercise class, a jumprope segment was introduced. “Oh No!” I thought. Not for me. I am grateful that after nine children and a life of running and exercising regularly, I don’t have more of an issue with stress incontinence, but I know my limits. And jumping rope goes beyond those limits. For a long time I did not know there was much I could do to improve the situation. But I now know there is a lot that women can do. If this is an issue for you, read more about it at Livestrong.com